Royal Army of Raven
The Royal Army of Raven is the Kingdom of Raven's military force, charged with protecting the national security of the nation. History The Royal Army of Raven traces its lineage back to the army that followed Cedras the Great into battle, formed from the congolmeration of the warriors of the Arusha, Tiwakhuna and Inakhuna tribes. This army developed a strong personal loyalty to Cedras I, particularly after the formation of the Kingdom. As the Kingdom grew, the army took on its current form, the the majority of its attention focused on the borders of the nation. Current deployments The Royal Army of Raven supports six major bases: * Fort Cedras * Fort Caliope * Fort Nike on the southern border, * Fort Icewind * Fort Snowbound on the northern border, and * Fort Fangorn in south-west Felde. These forts serve as staging posts and supply depots, although most soliders spend their time on long-duration patrols along the borderlands. Formation and structure The Royal Army can be broken into three distinct groups. The largest is the "Royal Army", which is typically deployed along the borders of Raven to ensure the security of the nation. The second largest group is the "Royal Navy", which is responsible for the small naval force of the Kingdom, consisting primarily of customs cutters and coast guard vessels. The third and smallest group is the King's Own Guard, a detatchment of the Royal Army selected for their skill, talent and unimpeachable integerity. The King's Own is an entirely volunteer regiment, and typically are selected to receive the best training and equipment. Unlike the other divisions, the King's Own is garrisoned within a major city - Raven, the capital. Personnel The entire Royal Army consists of around fifteen thousand members. Of these fifteen thousand, approximately ten thousand have levels of warrior, fighter or ranger and are deployed as part of the border guard regiments. Three thousand of the remainder have training in naval affairs, and are either at sea or serving at Admiralty Headquarters in the city of Raven itself. The remaining two thousand are the King's Own Regiment, all of whom are both highly-trained and well-equipped. Equipment The Royal Army took from the Merrovian Legions the idea of standardised equipment, and government contracts for the production of weapons and armour are a major source of income for several of the merchant houses. The average solider wears leather or studded leather armour, depending on his rank and speciality. Common soldiers in small groups wield longswords or short swords in battle, although each soldier is also issued with a longspear for use in formation against enemy infantry or charging calvary. Naval units are not typically armored, although armor is issued to them for use during boarding actions. Given the greater number of rogues serving in the navy, the standard-issue weapon is a rapier, and the heaviest armour is leather - the consequences of falling overboard in anything heavier do not bear thinking of. The King's Own, on the other hand, are strict in their standardisation. Each member wears chainmail, and carries a longsword. Officers, or members of the shock detatchments, might trade their longswords in for greatswords. Recruitment Citizens of Raven are expected to serve two years in the Army after their coming-of-age, which varies based on race. Clerics and other religiously-trained individuals are exempt, although many choose to serve anyway, and draft-dodging is a common and infrequently-punished crime. Category:Military Organisations